Log fireplace apparatus



'Dea l1, 19,51 LQVE ErAL 2,578,564

Los FIREPLACE APPARATUS Filed Aug. 20, 1949 I Wl( 9 7- TOP/VE YJ.

Patented Dec. ll, l1951 LOG FIREPLACE APPARATUS- Jesse L. Love,Titusville, Pa., Helenr F. Rose, Prospect Heights, Ill., and James L.Love, Columbus,

Ohio

Application August 20, 1949, Serial No. 111,458

4 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for use in log fireplaces, and, inparticular, to apparatus for supporting and holding the logs in aposition most vsuitable for inducing a rapid ignition and even burning.

In building up logs on the conventional andirons of a replace, it iscustomary to pile one log upon two lower` ones in such a manner thatsufficient space is left between the meeting surfaces of the logs sothat the natural draft of the fireplace can pull the llame upwardlyaround the logs and cause it to substantially envelop them. However, itoften is difficult to obtain such an arrangement because the naturaltendency of the logs may be to settle in such a position that the airspaces which should be present become closed oi. In using smooth roundlogs, the tendency is for the lower two to separate so that the threesettle in side-by-side positions, while in using split logs, theirirregularities may make it extremely difficult to balance the three logsin the desired position. As a result. the task of properly arranging thelogs may be quite arduous and time-taking, and, in addition, it subjectsthe operator to the risk of dangerous burns.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide apparatus forsupporting logs in a replace, this apparatus also being adapted to holdthe logs in the most desirable position for inducing vrapid ignition andeven burning, regardless of any tendency of the piled logs to settleinto other less propitious positions.

According to the invention, a log-supporting member is provided, thismember, preferably, including a pair of cross bars which extend from thefront to the rear of the fireplace, these barsbeing supported in anelevated position by suitable legs. Integrally formed at the rearportion of each of the bars is an upwardly extending ange, or shoulder,and, to hold the logs in their most favorably disposed arrangement, anadjustableshoulder is slidably mounted, in a manner to be described, onthe front portions of the cross bars. In operation, the logs are placedon l the bars and the adjustable shoulders then moved until the logs areclamped between them and the rear shoulders. Each slidable shoulder,also, carries a latch, and the cross bars are provided withlatch-receiving openings, or the equivalent, so that the slidingshoulders can be held. in their log-clamping position. Of course, eachtime the slidable member is moved, it is necessary to release the latchand, for this purpose, the apparatus includes an elongate latch-engagingshaft, the shaft being formed in a particular way and 2 the latch alsobeing formed and mounted in the slidable shoulder in such a manner thatthe shaft can simultaneously trip the latch and engage the slidableshoulder for moving it towards or away from the rear shoulder of thelog-supporting bars..

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which Fig.1 is a perspective of a log fireplace and the apparatus adjustablymounted therein; Fig. 2, a section along the line II-II of Fig. 1; Fig.'3, a section along line III-III of Fig. 2; Figs. 4 and 5 views showing,respectively, a latch,y and latch-engaging shaft; and Fig. 6 aperspective showing a modified form of the slidable shoulder.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus is mounted in a iireplacehaving side and rear walls I and 2 and it includes a pair ofidenticallyformed log-supporting members 3 and 4 each of which is formedof horizontal cross bars 6 mounted on integral front'and rear legs `land 8. For the purpose to be described. cross bars 6 each are formed toprovide a plurality of spaced openings 9, and at the rear portion oithese bars is an upwardly projecting flange, or rear shoulder II.Further, bars 6 each slidably mount a front log-abutting block l2, theseblocks each being formed with an upwardly projecting shouldervli.y

and a horizontal body portion lli. 'ihe slidable mounting of blocks I2is achieved by grooving their bottom surfaces so as to form anges lliand II which ride against the sides of cross bars 6 and provide a guidefor the blocks as they are slid along the cross bars.

In operation, thelogs are placed on the cross bars with the rear logcontacting rear shoulders Il, blocks I2 then being slid over the crossbars into engagement with the front log so that the arranged pile oflogs is clamped in position. It, of course, is desirable to holdshoulders I3 in thislog-clamping position and, for this purpose, each ofthe slidable blocks carries a latch I8, which prelerably, is simply aslidable plunger that is suiciently long to drop down through an openingI9 provided in body portion I4 of each block and then project downwardlyinto one of spaced openings 9 of the cross bars. To limit the downwarddrop of latches, or plungers I8, each of the plungers is formed with anenlarged upper end 20 that forms a stop, or, if desired, the latch maybe formed to wedge in opening I9.

With such an arrangement, it readily can be seen that, once the blockshave been brought into log-clamping position, the plungers may bereleasedn to drop into one of openings 9 and hold` that position.However, it also will be appreciated that it would be very inconvenientto maniplate the latching mechanism by hand, not only because theoperator then would have to reach into the replace, but because thelatch, and its associated mechanism, may be quite hot and covered withash. Therefore, the blocks are formed to receive 'a block-moving tool 2l(Fig. 5), which will be recognized as a conventionally formed logreplace poker having an elongate shaft portion 22 and a bent end portion23. Further, plungers I8 are carried in a particular manner so that thisstandard poker can trip or release the latch and, simultaneously, engagethe slidable blocks for moving them along with thecross bars.

Thus, in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, each of theplungers is provided with a notch 24 which extends inwardly from a sidewall of the plunger, this notch being positioned a sufficient distanceabove the bottom of the plunger so that when the plunger is dropped intoopening I-9 vthe bottom wall of notch 2.4 lies in approximately the samehorizontal plane as the top surface of. the cross bars. Further, bodyportions I4 of blocks i2 each are formed with a vertical slot 26 which,as seen, extends inwardly from the side Wall of the body portion andopens into plunger opening I9 of this portion. Further, slot 2S extendsfrom the top wall of body portion I4 downwardly approximately to thelevel of the horizontal plane of the upper surface of the cross bars,the slot, therefore, terminating in approximately the same horizontalplane as the bottom wall of notch 24 of plunger I8.

The purpose of this particular plunger arrangement is to facilitate thelatch-releasing and blockmoving actions of poker 2 I it being seen (Fig.2) thatitis quite simple to engage bent portion` 23.0f poker 27| in theupper portion of slot 26 and then slide this bent portion downwardly tothe bottom of-slotlwhereit then can be pressed into plunger notch 24,thereby operatively engaging the plunger. When such has beenaccomplished, the latch or plunger easilyl can be raised byrotatingorvlifting-up on poker 2l, and, alsopressuremay be exerted upon thepoker in a horizontaldi-rection to. move sliding blockrv I2. eithertoward or away from rear shoulders I Ib of. the log-supporting members3V and 4. The sliding block responds to pressure exerted upon poker 2Isince. inner end 23` of the poker is caught in or engaged by the sideWalls of vertical slot 26 of the block.

Of course, a number of other manners of mounting the plunger in theblock are possible, and such of .these as will accomplish the purposesoutlinedV in this` description are intended to be within the scope ofVthe invention. One such alternate arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 6,Where it is seen that plunger I8a is formed with ahorizontal opening, orhole 24ay in placeof slot 24of Fig. 4 to receive the end of the poker.Also, body portion I4 of block I2. is shaped differently, although aswill be appreciated there is nothing particularly critical in theshaping so long as theshape is such that. the poker can be engaged inopening 26, the plunger raised byV turning the poker and the block movedhorizontally by pulling on,A or pressing against, the poker. In thismodiedform, opening 24a is positioned so that, when the plunger hasdropped to thefull extent allowed by its stopping head 20, the lower arcof opening 24al lies in the same horizontal plane as the bottom of avgroove 2 formed in horizontal, laterally-projecting, flange-formingmembers 28. One advantage of .this form lies in the fact that the pokercan be engaged from either side of the block and also the blocks foreither log-supporting members 3 or 4 are identical, this last featurefacilitating assembly and rendering manufacture more economical.

Briefly reviewing the intended operation of the apparatus, the firststep in building the log fire is to move sliding blocks I2 a suflicientdistance toward the front of the apparatus so that two logs can beplaced side by side on cross bars 6 between sliding blocks I2 and rearshoulders II. The sliding blocks then may be moved toward shoulders i'Ia suflicient amount to clamp these two logs, this movement beingachieved by engaging the poker in notch 24, or opening 24a of theplunger, lifting the plunger and then pressing against the poker to movethe sliding blocks. In so moving the sliding blocks, there may be atendency to tilt the blocks and, to offset this, Vit is desirable toarrange the blocks so that most of their` weight is carried at theirfront portions. t is for this reason that latch openings I9 are formednear the front end of body portion I4 of these blocks.

With the two blocks so clamped, the third log then may be positionedupon them and turned about its longitudinal axis until a position isreached in which there is a `maximum amount of air space between themeeting surfaces of the top log and the two logs which support it.During` this arrangement ofr the top log, the two bottom logs are heldin their set position, although, if desired, they too may be rotatedabout their longitudinal axes soras to present av different surface onwhich the top can be supported. A further advantage of the log-holding.apparatus is that, after the logs have been partially burned, it ispossible again to` adjust sliding blocks I 2 so that they will press thetwo bottom logs together to provide support for the topy log. This isadvantageous since it sometimes happensthat, as the logs burn, thetwobottom logs separate and permit the top log to drop down betweenthem. It is important to noteV another improvement, this s being thatthe logs always Will be held toward the rear of the fireplace so thatthe possibility of smoke and sparks escaping from the fireplace isreduced. Of course, when readjustments are made while the logs areburning, it is particularly important to useA a latch-engaging tool,such as poker 2 I., and, also, theunusually simple manner in which poker2l canbe engaged with the sliding block and its latch greatlyfacilitates such readjustments.

The apparatus has further apparent advantages in that it is quite simpleand inexpensive to manufacture andl provides a sturdy support for thelogs. Also, the apparatus may be. rendered as attractive as thecustomary andirons simplyby shaping front legs 'I in any decorativemanner. However, it is possible to use this-apparatus` in combinationwith ordinary andirons, the apparatus then acting as a log cradle, suchlog cradles havingbeen used in combination withV antique andirons torelieve their comparatively,

weak cross bars of the weight ofv the logs.

AccordingV to the provisions of the patent statutes, We have explainedthe principle, preferred embodimentand mode of operation of ourinvention, and haveY illustrated and described whatis now considered torepresent its best embodiment. However, We desire to have it understoodthat, within the scope of the appended claims the invention may bepracticed otherwise than as specificallyillustrated and described.-

We claim:

1. Fireplace equipment for maintaining a desired g-pile arrangement,comprising an elongate log-supporting member extending horizontally fromthe front to the rear portions of the fireplace, a log pile clampingblock slidably mounted on the front portion of said member and having anupwardly projecting log-engaging portion, a latch carried by said blockfor engaging said log-supporting member and preventing movement of theblock with respect thereto, said supporting member being provided with aseries of longitudinally-spaced latch receiving means, said latch beingso carried by said block as to normally move into engagement with one ofsaid latch-receiving means, and said block being provided with anopening for receiving a blockmoving tool, manual force exerted upon saidtool when so engaged operating to effect release of the latch andmovement of said block along said logsupporting member.

2. Fireplace equipment for maintaining a desired log-pile arrangement,comprising an elongate log-supporting member extending horizontally fromthe front to the rear portions of the replace, a log pile clamping blockslidably mounted on the front portion of said member and having anupwardly projecting log-engaging portion adapted to engage the centralportion of the outer side of the front log of the pile, a latch carriedby said block for engaging said log-supporting member and preventingmovement of the block with respect thereto, said supporting member beingprovided with a series of longitudinally-spaced latch receiving means,said latch being so carried by said block as to normally move intoengagement with one of said latchreceiving means, and said block beingprovided with an opening for receiving a block-moving tool, manual forceexerted upon said tool when so engaged operating to effect release ofthe latch and movement of said block along said log-supporting member.

3. Log-holding apparatus comprising a horizontal log-supporting memberprovided with a series of longitudinally-spaced openings, an adjustablelog-clamping block slidably carried on said member, said block beingprovided with a Vertical opening, a latch slidably mounted in saidvertical opening for engaging said supporting member by dropping intoone of its spaced openings, said block and latch being movable by a toolhaving an elongate portion and an end portion bent at right angles toits elongate portion and said block and latch each being provided withinterconnecting notches whereby said tool can be operatively engagedsimultaneously With the block and latch by inserting the bent endportion of the tool into said interconnecting notches, movement of theso-engaged tool being capable of lifting the shaft-engaged latch out ofits supporting member opening and sliding the shaft-engaged block overits supporting member.

4. Log-holding apparatus comprising a horizontal log-supportingadjustable member provided with a series of longitudinally spacedopenings, a clamping block slidably carried by said member, said blockbeing formed with a logclamping shoulder and with ahorizontally-extending body portion provided with a vertical opening, alatch slidably mounted in said vertical opening for engaging thesupporting member by dropping into one of its spaced openings, a stopformed on the latch to limit its dropping movement, said block beingmovable by a tool having an elongate portion and an end portion bent atright angles to its elongate portion, the body portion of said blockbeing provided with a vertical slot extending downwardly at the side ofsaid vertical latch opening, said slot terminating above the bottomsurface of said body portion and said latch being provided with a notchcommunicating with the bottom portion of said slot, whereby the bent endof said tool can be engaged in said slot and notch to operatively engageboth said shoulder and said latch simultaneously.

JESSE L. LOVE. HELEN F. ROSE. JAMES L. LOVE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 9,825 Cochran July 1, 1836 (Oldseries) 3,675 Morgan July 22, 1844 105,234 Norman July 12, 1870 853,831Ross May 14, 1907 1,127,333 Wilderspin Feb. 2, 1915

